Naeem Khan Celebrates India on the New York Fashion Runway

From India with Love: From Bombay to New York

New York Fashion Week was frenetic as ever. And I tasted a small bite of it at Naeem Khan’s show which was held in Manhattan’s fashion district in the designer’s gorgeous penthouse space. It was packed to the rafters with worshippers of fashion, fashionistas, buyers of fashion and of course the fashion press. This F word was everywhere, from women’s hairstyles to the tips of their stilettos! There were countless Naeem fans in their favorite Naeem wear.

 

Naeem has been the go to designer for powerful women achievers internationally from  Michelle Obama to major Hollywood celebrities and socialites. His designs are in over 100 stores internationally but his creations have always had a touch of India.

This is because he grew up in India in a family of world class embroiders. Many were the Indian brides who had their bridal wear designed by his father. In fact even my gorgeous red wedding saree with gold zari was his creation. And now it seems to have come full circle with this latest New York Fashion Week. His collection is called ‘From India with Love’ and there is a distinct Indian aesthetic to it, a homage to the India he loves.

For the first time one saw the sari and the gharara and other Indian silhouettes in the show. The the Fashion Week was held in his penthouse showroom in the garment district. There was no elevated catwalk so the presentation had a much more intimate and organic feel as the models were within touching distance, weaving through the crowd and the wildly clicking photographers, amongst strands of marigold strings.

Model after model showcased Naeem’s new vision and India was very much a part of the story. Indeed, India has

always been a building block in all his clothes which have been worn by First Lady Michelle Obama, Hollywood celebrities and high society women. Earlier it was the signature embroidery and fabrics which stood out but now Naeem has taken a more India-centric approach – he has transitioned into saris, lenghas and ghararas – and western wear inspired by these silhouettes.

As he says India is now a very big part of the world and he wanted to be a part of that journey. During recent weeks India has become a big player in the world. a global presence and Naeem wanted to emphasize that and in fact his outfits showed affection and style for the India of the past and the present.

After the crowded fashion show, I had a special treat going into meet Naeem in his office, taking a shortcut through a workshop where his assistant designer and I  had to cut a pathway, squeezing  through a jungle of gorgeous high fashion outfits. It was an eye-opener to catch a behind-the-scenes glimpse of workers who are the unseen tableaux which create the grandeur of a Naeem Khan show.

Face to Face with Naeem Khan

Naeem sat down with me for a quick chat catching up on the years – I think I have written about Naeem from the beginning of his career for magazines from India Today to Vistara, Tatler, Hi! and Spice, and of course, Lassi with Lavina.

“This is my homage to going back to India. And I just feel that India is such a great global power now, that the West is looking to India and I want to go back to India. And I want this to be the collection that shows that how interested I am to be in India and I want my presence in India. So, I’m Indian, and I want to go back to my roots.”

Naeem has homes and offices in both New York and in Miami, which he loves. He says, “ I’m in the middle of hopefully doing a deal in India, where we’ll open businesses. It’s important I do India but we want to do it right.” From the Indian designers, he’s the one with the most presence globally so he’s now looking at a reverse journey to India.

His illustrious father is ailing and Naeem’s roots are pulling him back. Says Naeem, “He’s such a legend in India, and because I come from great history I cannot in any way let that down: my grandfather, my father,  me. My sons work with me – they are the fourth generation. We are a heritage family –  so how can I not make this something legendary?”

When he first came here, he was the one who was making Indian traditional work, and had collaborations with Halston and Andy Warhol, and started thinking out of the box. “Now this is my homage to India, and look what’s happening with other designers from India. They are expanding into the world. Yeah, I’m going back to India!”

Before his India trip, Naeem Khan opens the Guatemala Fashion Week where he is the guest of honor and this month, he also gets the Designer of the Year Award at the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt Museum.

Many years ago as a young designer, Naeem came to New York and worked in Halston’s atelier and moved to create his own aesthetic and his own label. He had the improbable dream of making an Indian name a top name in the fashion world. Now he and his sons are on a reverse journey to open a showroom in their hometown  Bombay and the fashion march goes on. Tune in for more from the Khan Dynasty!

 

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